Key #2 – Placing the right team members in the right role
For an effective team-centered ministry, the right team members are indispensable. Placing the right team members in the right role can ensure success or guarantee failure. Is it possible to have the right team members, but have them placed in the wrong role on the team? The answer is yes. The team leader’s strength is his ability to assign roles to the right team member to maximize their effectiveness. It involves the concept of divided labor.
Adam Smith first introduced this to the Western world in 1776. The concept revolved around our modern understanding of team. Instead of having individuals manufacture products individually one at a time, Smith demonstrated how dividing the labor could produce more over a shorter period of time and thereby increase production exponentially.
When we apply this concept to ministry, the result is similar but with deep eternal impact. As team leaders identify and place each team member in the proper role, the ministry becomes more effective and productive in making disciples. As a team leader, one must understand each team member in three specific areas:
- spiritual maturity,
- unique personality,
- life situation.
With spiritual maturity, the goal is to determine each team member’s level of growth in his or her faith. Do they have a solid grasp of basic Bible knowledge? Are they capable of leading someone to Christ using the Bible and their personal testimony? Do they understand basic doctrines of the faith? What kind of fruit has their life yielded for the kingdom? These are simple questions that will help the team leader assess each team member’s level of spiritual growth. But this is just a beginning point. Assessment must be regular and progressivley more intense.
Team leaders must also understand each team member’s unique personality. “Bringing out the best in team members requires that their coach know them and what is important to them” -John Maxwell. When a team leader understands the unique personality of each team member, it enables the team to operate at higher level of performance. In working with team-centered ministries, a personality profile can be very helpful. It allows the team leader to view personality styles as well as work styles and conflict styles. Once the team understands the different styles of each team member, they can begin to connect in ways that they could not prior to taking the personality profile.
And you can’t forget to look at where each team member is in their life. New marriage, kids, teenagers, college students, empty nesters–they all have needs and talents that are shaped by the season of life they are in.
Just a few thoughts, remaining in Him–John 15:5
